Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have maintained their September 30, 2026 deadline for the Federal Government to address rising petrol prices, wage concerns and negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
The council, which represents eight public sector unions, warned that it would begin a three-day nationwide warning strike on Friday, October 2, if the government fails to respond to its demands.
Among the unions’ key demands is a reduction in petrol prices to ₦500 per litre, an immediate wage award for workers and the urgent establishment of a tripartite committee to negotiate a new national minimum wage expected to take effect in 2027.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 29, JNPSNC National Secretary and General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Gbenga Olowoyo, said the September 30 deadline remained unchanged.
The council described petrol prices reportedly ranging from ₦1,450 to ₦2,000 per litre, with some areas recording prices as high as ₦2,500, as unsustainable for workers and their dependants.
The unions also called for government intervention to address fuel landing costs and support oil and gas operators. They urged authorities to ensure adequate crude oil supplies to the Dangote Refinery and modular refineries on appropriate terms to strengthen domestic refining.
The workers further demanded a wage award to cushion the effects of economic hardship and called for early commencement of minimum-wage negotiations to avoid delays when the new wage structure is due to take effect.
JNPSNC warned that failure to meet its demands by September 30 would leave it with no option but to proceed with the planned three-day warning strike from October 2. The council also called on President Bola Tinubu to address the concerns in his Independence Day address.
